For years, firefighters--and, in particular, wildland firefighters--have worn goggles borrowed from other industries to satisfy their need for eye protection. With respect to the construction of the goggles, the goggles currently being used by firefighters, e.g., wildland firefighters, have rubber or rubberized frames and straps made from rubber or other elastic material. The frame may include a foam gasket around the perimeter, similar to a ski mask, to form a seal between the goggles and the face.
In a wildland firefighting environment, it is common for firefighters to be trapped and overrun by out-of-control fires. In such a situation, in particular, where a firefighter is exposed to extreme heat, the foam gasket or the petroleum-based rubber of the goggle can melt, causing injury to the firefighter and reducing the ability of the goggles to shield the firefighter's eyes. Moreover, from a comfort standpoint, such rubber-framed goggles are extremely hot and cause profuse sweating, which leads to fogging of the lenses and hence obscuring of the firefighter's vision.
With respect to the manner in which conventional firefighter goggles are secured to the firefighter's head, one current method uses a helmet retainer ring which wraps around the outer circumference of the helmet. The goggles are secured to the retainer ring with elastic cords and thus rest on the back bill of the helmet. The advantage of this configuration is that the goggles can be pulled forward and secured over the eyes when necessary without having to remove the helmet, but the system tends to stretch the frame of the goggle, thereby degrading the seal the goggles provide around the eyes which allows flying debris to get into the eyes. Additionally, the elastic cords tend to get stretched out due to the thin, light duty elastic typically used.
Another common method of securing the goggles to the head is simply to use a conventional, single-piece rubber or elastic headband strap. This configuration provides a better seal than securing the goggles to the helmet does, but requires the firefighter to remove the helmet in order to doff or don the goggles--a procedure which wastes time and exposes the firefighter to increased risk.